Peach Jam Preview: Phenom University 17U
North August, SC― The Nike EYBL season all boils down to this; Peach Jam is finally here. During an NCAA live period, teams from all over the country will compete to try and take home the most prestigious crown in…
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Continue ReadingNorth August, SC― The Nike EYBL season all boils down to this; Peach Jam is finally here. During an NCAA live period, teams from all over the country will compete to try and take home the most prestigious crown in grassroots basketball. Wisconsin’s own, Phenom University, boasted the second-best record through thirteen regular season games, losing just two contests. Coming up just short last year, Phenom U has a good shot to bring home the 2019 crown.
Jalen Johnson, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and Jamari Sibley have been mainstays in Phenom’s roster for the past two seasons. All three prospects bring elite talent to the table and will need to play well if their team is going to win Peach Jam. The number one overall player in the 2021 class, Patrick Baldwin Jr., leads this team in scoring per game at 17.4 points per contest. However, Johnson and Sibley are not far behind. Jalen is scoring 17 points per game, which is good for second on the squad. Sibley, on the other hand, is scoring 12.5 PPG.
Although they don’t play Wisconsin high school basketball, Jaemyn Brakefield and Reece Beekman both provide Phenom with even more star power. Brakefield is another powerful forward. He can hit shots from three and finish in the paint. Beekman Is the glue that keeps this team intact. The Virginia commit leads his team in assists per game with 6.9 per matchup.
Carter Gilmore and Alex Huibregtse are not top 100 recruits, but they both fit a role. Gilmore is a skilled 6’9″ forward, who can do a little bit of everything. He can handle the rock well, pass to open teammates, and knock down threes. Huibregtse is more one-dimensional, but he does his job very well. Specializing as a three-point shooter, he has made twenty threes on the EYBL circuit and has the highest make percentage on the team. If any of Phenom’s stars are struggling, Gilmore and Huibregtse are good enough to pick up the slack.
Phenom University will start its quest for a Peach Jam championship on Wednesday when they take on Team Final (PA) at 5:00 PM. Phenom was placed in Pool B, which includes Expressions Elite (MA), Boo Williams (VA), Renaissance (NY), The Family Detroit (MI), and Team Final (PA). If Phenom is able to take care of business in its pool, they will advance to bracket play. Texas Titans (TX), AOT (GA), Mac Irvin Fire (IL), and Woodz Elite (AR) will be some of Phenom’s toughest competition if they get out of pool play.